Ordnance



A. S. HALSEY.

ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1918.

1,369,278. Patented Feb. 22,1921.

4 SHEE SSHEET A. S. HALSEY. ORDN ANCE;

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 19.18.

L z? a 2m M z, 5 v r. %m W M4 3 m m A. S. HAL'SE-Y.

ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28. l9l8.

Patented Feb. 22,1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- UNITED STATES, PATENT- orrics.

ARTHUR SHERMAN HALSEY, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, ASSIGN'OR TO THE GOVERNMENT or THE UNITED sTATEs.

o nNA cE.

T 0 (all w 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR S. IIALSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ordnance, and has particular reference to mounts of the type in which the gun may be withdrawn into lowered position when not in use. This type of gun mount, known generally as the disappearing mount, is especially adapted for use on submarine vessels, as in this kind of vesselit is desirable, for obvious rea sons, to lower the gun into a compartment below the deck when the gun is not in use as, for instance, when the vessel is submerged. i

In vessels of the submarine type, the available space within the hull is very restricted and, therefore, it is particularly desirable that the compartment into which the gun and mount are withdrawn ma be as small as possible, and to this end, provide an improved mount, which will require, when lowered, a compartment of minimum size, it being possible to lower the gun and mount into a chamberthe depth of which is, equal to the diameter of the gun plus the recoil mechanism or to the diameter of the housing for the'breech end of the gun and recoil mechanism when those membersare inclosed in a fluid tight casing.

When lowering the gun into a compartment, it is necessary that the he -maintained at the correct angle ina vertical plane so that, as the gun approachesits lowermost limit of travel, it will. be,.substantially, in parallelism with the bottom of the compartment. .HeretofOre, it has beencustomary'in mountsof this type to manually change the angle of the gun,'preparatory to withdrawal or while it is being lowered, but this manual operation is open to the ob jections that considerable time is wasted in adjusting the gun preliminary to lowering the same, and not infrequently due to carelessness on the part of the'operator orthe exigencies of the occasiomtheoperator does not lower the gun at the right angle, with the result that the lower end of the gun strikes the bottom ofthe compartment resulting in 'damageto the gun or vessel. It is an objectj'of the present invention to pro- Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Feb. 22, 1921 Application filed September 28,1918. Serial No. 256,033..

vide means for automatically maintaining thegun at thecorrect vertical angle while the 'mount is being lowered, thus entirely. ehmmatlng the personal factor and insurmg against accidents. By automatical'lv changing the vertical angle of the gun relative to the mount while the gun is being lowered, it is not necessary to first bring the gun to the correct vertical angle preparatory to withdrawing the same and, therefore, considerable timeissaved and the gun may be immediately and quickly withdrawn into the compartment.

The, present invention is designed to embody certain features of construction and a novel combination of parts in a simple and The above andother objects of my invention are obtained in the structure described in detail in the following specification. and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and wherein 7 Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the mount with the gun in raised position ready for firing. i

Fig. 2. is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrates the gun and mount in withdrawn or lowered position and within a compartment;

Fig. 3. is a rear end view of thestructure shown in Fig. 1. v i

Fig. 4. is a top plan view of the gun and mount in raised position. v

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the mount with the yoke in raised position and with the gun slide and other parts of the structure removed. .1 v

Fig. 6. is the sectional view through the platform of the mount with the yoke shown in lowered POSltlOIln I 1 Fig. 7 is a perspective view, partly in sec tion, and partly in elevation, of the gun elevating mechanism, and Fig. 8. is a sectional view. taken longitudi nally through one of the cylinders whereby the ;mount is raised and lowered.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters represent like parts. in severalviews, 10 designates the usual plat,- form or base which may be of any suitable,

construction and which, in the present'in.--

comprising a swinging door or pair of doors (not shown) hinged to the superstructure and adapted to be closed over the chamber, when the gun is in lowered position.

Rotatably mounted upon the platform'10" is the gun carriage comprising a table plate- 14 and a yoke 15, the latter having at its upper ends the usual bearings which receive. the trunnions of a cradle or slide 16 in which a gun 1.7 recoils in a line of fire. To prevent water from gaining access to the ore of the gun and the recoil mechanism, the latter of which comprises a cylinder .18, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the'slide 16 is extended backwar'dly to slightly'bcyond the breech of the un and houses the rear end of the gun 21,115 recoil mechanism. The rear end of the slide is provided with a water tight door 19 which is removed w-hen'charging the in and to permit the gun to recoil in the slide, when the gun is fired.

The means for training the gun may be of any suitable construction, it' being shown, for illustrative purposes, in the present instance, as comprising the well known type of training mechanism having the usual worm ear 20 fixed to the base10,a worm 21'm'es1ing with the gear20, a two hand drive wheel 22 and the usual connections between the worm 21 and drive wheel 22 includin the vertical shaft 23, The shaft 23 is jointed, as at 24, so that theflhand wheel 22 may be lowered-when the gunis withdrawn into the chamber 10, as will be ex lained more in detail.

he table plate 14 has a rectangular opening 25 (Fig. 6) -which, when the gun is in the correct azimuth, registers'with a similarly shaped recess 26 in the platform 10 to form a well which receives a portion 'of the yoke 15 when the mount is lowered into withdrawn position. Arising from .the tableplate 14 and located to each side at'the recess 25 therein, is a standard or bracket 2'? between which extends a transverse shaft 28 upon which is pivoted the yoke 15.

The shaft 28 is located adjacent the .forward'ends of the bracket 27 so that the rear lower end of the yoke 15 may be lowered into the well 26 within the platform 10, as most clearly shown in Fig. 6. For the purpose of locking the yoke in elevated position. the rear lower ends of the cheeks of the yoke are provided with openings 29, which register with openings 30 in the rear ends ofthe brackets 27 when the yoke is raised. WVithin the openings 29 of the yoke are slid-ably mounted pins or plun'gers 31 adapted to be moved outwardly, so thattheir outer ends may be engaged in the openings 30 of the brackets 27. to lock the yoke in elevated po-' sition. It is obvious, of course, that, if preferred, the pins 31 may be normally carried by the openings 30 in the brackets" and t shifted inwardly into the openings 29. J-tn -r' suitable means for shifting the pins 31 may .be employed, in the. present instance, each of bracket 27 is an abutment 32 against which the forward end of the yoke enga es and thus swinging movement of the yo e in. a forward direction islimited.

In accordance with the present invention, the mount is provided with gun elevating means, which may be manually operated to change the vertical angle or elevation of the gun for purpose of fire, and which may be automatically operated to change the angle between the gun and mount when lowering the gun into the chamber of the vessel; The slide or cradle 16 carries the usual elevating rack'or segment 32 and-the change in elevation is effected by means of .a manually operated element shown, in the present instance, as comprising a two hand drive wheel 33. The connections between the rack 32 and the hand wheel may be of the type now in general use and comprise, as most clearly showninFi .7, a pinion 34 meshing with the rack 32 and carried by a shaft 35 upon the outer end of which is fixed a worm gear 36, meshing with a worm' 37 carried by a shaft having a bevel gear 38, whichin turn meshes with a bevel gear 39 fixed on the same shaft as is the hand wheel 33.

For the purpose of automatically changing the angle of the gun relative to the yoke when the mount is being lowered, means operated by the movement of the yoke is associated with the manually operable elevating mechanism above described and this automatic means comprises, in part, a screw shaft 40 rotatively carried at its lower end in a sleeve 41 and havingat its upper end a bevel gear 42 meshing with the-bevel gear. 39, heretofore referred to. The sleeve 41 is loosely mounted on a horizontally extending rod 42' which is in axial alinement with the shaft28 upon which the yoke is mounted. Upon the screw shaft 40 is a slide 43 and this slide and the shaft are provided with complementary screw threads so that when the slide is moved longitudinally iron the screw shaft, the latter will be cause to rotake. The slide 43 is maintained against rotation and is caused to travel longitudinally upon the shaft 40, when the latter is swung about its pivot, by means of a link 44' connected at one'end to the slide and at its other end to a horizontally extending rod 45 spaced rearwardly of the rod 42. It will be seen that the screw shaft 40 and the link l i are'eocentrically'pivoted. The slide has a pair of diametrically opposite longitudinally extending'slots 46 and the outer end of the link, which is forked, carries pins 47 operating in these slots. By this latter arrangeinent operation of the hand wheel 33 pivoted.

for changing the elevation of the gun for purposes of fire may take place.

Any suitable mechanism may be utilized for raising and lowering the mount, but in the present instance, this means is shown as comprising a pair 'of cylinders 48, located on opposite sides of'the mount and each comprising two telescopic parts within which are housed springs .49 which tend to maintain the cylinder in extended con-7 Each of the cylinders is pivot-v dition. ally connected at its upper end to the yoke at the point adjacent to'the bearings which receive the trunnions of the slide 16, and each is pivotally connected at its lower end to ears 50 carried by the table plate 14, these'ears being'spaced rearwardly of the line or shaft 28 upon which the-yoke 15 is When the yoke is lowered into withdrawn positionfthe-parts of the cylinder will telescopeinto each other due to eccentricity of the pivotal points ofthe yoke and the cylinders, and when the yoke is moved into raised position, the cylinders will be extended. The pressure of the springs 49 is supplemented by fluid pressure, the fluid pressure being admitted to the cylinders by flexible tubes 51 leading from any suitable pressure device (not shown). 7

The operation of the structure above described will be readily understood and may be briefly stated as follows: Assuming that the mount is in loweredposition, that is in the position shown in Fig. 2; to raise the mount, fluid pressure is admitted to the cylinders 48, whereupon, the cylinders, due to the combined pressure of the springs 49 and the fluid, will-be extended and the yoke will be swung forwardly and upwardly about the shaft 28 and into the position shown in Fig. 1. lVhen the mount is in lowered position the portion of gun 17 forward of the slide 16 lies between the cheeks of the yoke 15. As the mount is raised, the slide 43 will move longitudinally upon the shaft 40 andtoward the pivot end of the same with the result that the screw shaft M) is rotated to set into operation the mechanism between the hand wheel 33 and the rack 32, and thus cause the gun to rotate in the bearings of the yoke 15 so that the gun is maintained in a horizontal position. The yoke 24: of the shaft 23 of the training mechanism, the.

shaft 28 and the rod 12 are all in axial alinement, so that the parts may be simultaneously raised and lowered. After the yoke is raised to its highest position, the pins 31' are moved outwardly and into the openings 30 of the brackets27. Due to the pin and slot arrangement between the slide as and the link 44:, the hand wheel 33 may be rotated to elevate the gun for purpose of fire.

The operation of the structure is the reverse of that just described, when the gun is withdrawn from raised position into the chamber of the vessel. Inthiscase the fluid pressure within the cylinders 18 is reduced, the pins 31 having first been withdrawn from the openings 30 in the brackets 27. The fluid pressure within the cylinders is regulated so that themount is lowered with gun and-the recoil mechanism is located within the chamber 11, rearwardly of the base 10 and that the depth of the chamber 11 needs be only about equal to the height of this casing to accommodate the entire mount. It will further be seen that with my improved construction, the base 10 and the table plate 14 of the carriage are not pivoted so as to swing downwardly, but these members are fixed in the chamber 11.

It is obvious that my invention is susceptible of various modifications and changes which would be within the spirit of the invention without departing from the scope of the following claims.

IV hat I claim is 1.. In a gun mounting for guns adapted to be raised to firing position, in combination, a base having a recess, a plate rotatably mounted on said base and having an opening adapted to register with said recess, brackets arising from said late adjacent said opening and a yoke having a forward portionpivoted at one end of said brackets and a rear portion integral therewith adapted to engage in said recess and opening in lowered position.

2. In a gun mounting for guns adapted to be raised to firing position, in combination, a base having a recess, a plate rotatably mounted on said base and having an opening adapted to register with said recess, brackets arising from said plate adjacent said opening, a yokehaving a forward portion pivoted at one end of said brackets and a rear portion integral therewith adapted to engage in said recess and opening in lowered position and means for raising and'lowering said .yoke. v

3. In a gun mounting forguns adapted to be raised to firing position, in combination, a base provided with a central aperture, a plate rotatably mounted on said base having vide a pivotal point and locking means coacting with the-other set of openings and the rear part of said yoke adapted to lock thesame in raised position, said openings in the base and plate providing a housing into which the rear of said yoke falls when the gun is in lowered position.

4. In a gun mounting, a horizontally pivoted supporting member, a gun trunnioned therein, and means controlled by the swinging movement of said supporting member for changing the angle between the 1 said member and gun, said means comprising in part a rotatable screw shaft pivotally mounted concentrically to the pivotal line of said supporting member, a slide on said shaft and a connection between said slide and a point eccentric to the pivotal point of said screw, shaft.

5. In a gun mounting, a horizontally pivoted supportin member, a gun trunnioned therein, manuafiy operable means for changing the elevation of the gun for the purpose of fire and having a gear, and a second means associated with said manually operable means and controlled by the swinging movement of said supporting member for automatically changing the angle between the gun and member, said second means comprising a rotatable screw shaft pivoted concentrically to the pivotal line of said supporting member and havinga gear meshing with said gear of said first means, a slide threaded on said shaft, and a link between said slide and a point eccentric to the pivoted point of said screw shaft;

Signed atW'ashington, District of Colur ri bia, this 23rd day of August 1918.

ARTHUR SHERMAN HALSEY, 

